Leah's Story
by Dr. Sparkles
Summary: AU-Leah, in her own words, tells what happens when she imprints on one of her former enemies...
1. The Sun Comes Out

_Okay...so a couple of things before we get going so to speak, lol. I do not own Twilight and I never will. Just so this is clear, this story is AU. So please, don't flame me demanding to know where Esme is. Other than that, critiques and suggestions are welcome. Enjoy!  
_

My life was weird enough before I became a werewolf. My boyfriend, whom I deeply loved, had vanished without a trace and I didn't know where he was. And then, when he came back…everything changed. He wasn't my Sam anymore. He was something different. We tried to make it work, but it just wasn't to be. Now, he was about to marry my second cousin who had once been like a sister to me. And I was a werewolf, the only girl among a bunch of guys.

Sure, the pack was pretty cool most of the time, but they really didn't _understand_ what it was like for me. And I know I could've handled things better, been a bit more cool about it…but I just couldn't then. I couldn't let my bitterness and my anger and my hurt go long enough to be who I once was. It was like the Leah Clearwater I had been was murdered, never to return. I wasn't going to be happy again. I wasn't going to truly laugh, or smile any more.

But just when you think things are set in stone…everything can change again. And that was what I learned the day I imprinted on someone that I considered to be a mortal enemy.

Jake had imprinted himself on Bella's daughter (now _that_ was pretty freakin' weird, if you ask me) and Seth and I were trying to keep up on the patrols. My little brother was doing pretty well and so was I. I hadn't really wanted to get cozy with Jake, but I had to look after Seth. He and Mom were all I had left so wherever he went, I went. That was the way it had to be. Also, if I was honest with myself, hanging out with Jake was a lot better than being in La Push around Sam all the time. Why torture myself like that?

I had come into the house to make my report to Jake and he was with Renesme, of course (what a mouthful! I could see why Jake had started calling her Nessie. Much easier.) so I turned to go up the stairs. I was about halway up the flight…and collided with someone. I went flying backward and landed flat on my butt at the bottom of the steps. My head hit the floor and I groaned. It wasn't bad or anything, it was just embarrassing to be in such a vulnerable position in a house full of leeches.

"Leah? Are you okay?" a concerned voice asked from above me. I looked up, ready to roll my eyes and give one of my usual snappy comebacks…and my words died before I could even get them out.

It was sunny outside, a rarity for Forks and the light was streaming in through all of the windows that the vamps had in their house. Coming toward me down the stairs was the doctor, Carlisle. He looked like an angel from a painting or something and I wondered why I'd never really _seen_ him before. His face was bright, just as bright as the sun and his butterscotch eyes were like magnets. I couldn't look away from him and I didn't even want to.

Maybe it was the sunlight or something, but I felt like I was on fire, like I was burning from the inside out. What was happening to me? Why did I feel like this?

Carlisle knelt down beside me and I noticed that instead of reeking like all of the other vampires…he smelled really good, like sandalwood or something. Maybe he used a better body wash than the others or something.

He cautiously began feeling the back of my head and I wanted nothing more than for him to just rest his cool hands on my face. Usually, touching vamps wasn't too pleasant, since they were so much colder than us but with my new inner fire, his touch felt…nice.

"Doesn't feel like the skin was broken." he murmured. I could listen to him talk all day and frowned a little. Since when had I been such a fangirl?

"How do you feel?" he asked, looking me full in the face. I wanted to say something, anything, but I couldn't get my damned brain to work! He was absolutely, without a doubt, one of the most gorgeous men I'd ever seen and I'd been rendered speechless.

"I...I'm fine." I stuttered. He smiled before helping me up to my feet. His cool fingers still felt really nice and I wondered if I needed to go take a cold shower or something. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Sit down for a few minutes." he said as he moved into the kitchen. I watched him leave. Even his flippin' _back_ was sexy! I plopped down onto the sofa and snorted. I _really_ needed to get someone to take my out on a date. The guys in the pack viewed me like a sister, so nobody was exactly lining up to take me out on Friday nights.

Carlisle returned with some water in a glass, and an ice pack for my head. I wanted to say, _Just put your hand on my head_, but figured that would be a bit awkward so I took the ice pack from him and put it on my head. He stood there for a moment and it occured to me that his face seemed just like the sun to me.

Just like the sun? Oh crap...

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	2. Seth Spills The Beans

_Thanks to everyone who's read this, reviewed it and put it on their watch lists. I really appreciate it, and here's chapter two. All usual disclaimers are in effect._

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I was officially in trouble. Sure, I'd told Jake that imprinting on someone would be easier than having to deal with all the pain Sam had left me with, but I hadn't expected it to happen _days_ later, thank you very much! What was I going to do? Would he laugh at me? Or should I even tell him at all? I was screwed any way you looked at it and I heaved a sigh.

Carlisle frowned and said, "Are you all right? Do you need some aspirin? Maybe you hit your head harder than I thought..."

"No!" I practically shouted. "I'm fine!"

He looked taken aback, and held his hands up placatingly. "All right, all right. I was just asking. No need to bite my head off, as much as I'm sure you'd enjoy that..."

He'd cracked a joke. Carlisle had actually cracked a joke and I found myself chuckling at it, even though it was on the lame side. Wow, was I seriously going to react like this to whatever he did? Might as well buy me a little skirt and pom poms so I could be his cheerleader officially.

Before I could say anything, he smiled. "You actually laughed! Maybe I'd better get a camera. Jacob won't believe that it happened..."

I stuck my tongue out at him. Not the most mature response, but I didn't have to try and get my brain to form a coherent sentence. However, it didn't help matters any because Carlisle just grinned and laughed out loud. I'd never seen him that loosened up before. Usually, he was in "must take care of someone" mode but he seemed like he'd actually be...fun to be around.

He raised an eyebrow at me but his smile was still on his face. "Is that the tongue of doom that Seth had spoken of?"

"It is, and believe me, it can rain doom and gloom." I said with a mock glare.

Carlisle opened his eyes wide in mock fear and I laughed again. He looked pleased with himself and I took a closer look at him. Underneth his laughter, there was a deep weariness that was easy for me to see and I thought about all of the burdens that were placed on him as the leader of this coven. He had to worry about Bella and Nessie as well as weither or not the La Push boys were going to attack him at any moment. He also had me, Jake and Seth intruding in his home and I decided right then and there that I wasn't going to tell him about me imprinting on him. It would just be another weight on his back and I couldn't do that to him. Maybe when things calmed down a little, I could have a sensible talk with him.

Rosalie came to ask him a question and I took that opportunity to slip out of the room. Blondie didn't exactly like any of us wolves. She tolerated Seth pretty well, pretended I didn't exist and just about had a war with Jacob every time she saw him. Then again, Jake didn't exactly try to ingratiate himself with her. The blonde jokes were getting old, even for me.

I went up the stairs and found Jake holding Nessie and talking to her. He looked up and relaxed a little when he saw it was me. "Oh hey, Leah." he greeted.

"Hey Jake. Hey Nessie." I said, giving the little girl a grudging smile. She was pretty cute.

"Anything going on?" he asked.

"Nope. All's quiet on the western front, boss." I joked. He rolled his eyes, but laughed a little at my joke before looking at me a little strangely.

"You okay? I thought I heard you yelling downstairs."

"Oh I'm fine." I said nonchalantly. "I bumped into Carlisle on the stairs and fell down. He was trying to make sure that I was okay and went a little overboard, but you know how he is."

"Yeah...I do." Jake replied, still looking at me strangely and I cursed my runaway mouth for saying too much.

"Well, I'm going to go check in with Seth. I'll come back if we see or hear anything." I said quickly and without waiting for a response, I was down the stairs and out the door, leaving the ice pack on the counter in the kitchen. Hopefully Carlisle wouldn't try and chase me down to check my head again. I didn't know what I'd do if he got very close to me. Probably try to kiss him, and that would just freak him out beyond belief.

Ducking behind a tree, I phased and carried my clothes over to a little spot behind the stairs leading up to the front porch. Seth was already circling around and skipped up to me. He was looking pretty pleased with himself.

_Hey sis. Nothing happening out there._ he reported. _Saw a few deer and squirrels, but that's about it._

_Maybe I'll find a rabbit. We can name it Bugs._ I joked. I could feel Seth's bewilderment and he considered for a moment before he asked me a question.

_Leah...are you okay? You seem really...happy, like something good's happened._

_I'm just in a good mood! Since when is that a crime?_ I retorted, but my words didn't have my usual heat to them and Seth noticed that, darn him.

_You're in a good mood for a reason. Tell me, or I'll get Jake to make you tell me._ he threatened.

_Geez Seth, overreacting much?_ I asked sarcastically. _You can't make Jake do anything and besides, even if there WAS a reason that I'm in a good mood, if it doesn't mean anything to the pack, it's none of your guys's business!_

_So there is something..._ Seth observed astutely and my tail twitched. He was about to get a butt kicking in a minute if he wasn't a little more careful. Sure, I was in a good mood because of my imprinting, but that didn't mean I couldn't still throw down if I need to.

_YOU IMPRINTED? _he yelped and once again, I cursed the "pack mind sharing" thing.

_Yes, I did._ I huffed. _But I'm not telling him. Not right now._

_Who is it?_ Seth demanded. I remained silent and he growled. _Leah, I'm your brother! You can tell me anything!_

I still didn't say anything, but my mind betrayed me when the door opened and Carlisle stepped out, followed by Edward. My gaze automatically went to him and Seth was momentairily speechless.

_Carlisle? You imprinted on Carlisle?_

Edward immediately looked at me, shock written on his face and I didn't stick around to see what was going to happen. I booked it out of there, Seth on my heels. _Leave the the hell alone Seth, or so help me, I will use you as a bulldozer for trees._ I snarled. How could he do that to me when he _knew_ that Eddy Boy could read minds? He might as well as shouted it to the world. I was mad and embarrassed as well as really hating that I had to run _away_ from Carlisle when all I really wanted to do was run back to him. Stupid brothers. It was at times like these that I sorta wished I'd been an only child.

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	3. A Werewolf Kiss

_Here's chapter three. All usual disclaimers are in effect, and just a heads up, my home computer is dead, so I'll be updating whenever I can get to the library so if a few days go by with no update, don't worry. I haven't forgotten about this story.  
_

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I let me legs carry me away from Forks toward the south but as I ran, I heard Seth call out in my head. _Leah, wait up! I'm sorry!_

_Go AWAY, Seth._ I snarled. To say that I wasn't happy would be a gross understatement. _I do NOT want to talk to you right now._

Jacob's presence was suddenly in both of our heads. _Seth, leave her alone._ His voice was calm, but firm and I was pretty grateful to our Alpha for getting Seth off my back. That feeling faded away quickly however, as he went on. _Leah, you need to come back._

_Why? Haven't you guys had enough of a laugh over this yet without me being there to witness it?_ I snapped.

_Nobody's been laughing, so chill/_ Jake sighed and I could hear the truth in his words. _You need to come back because Carlisle wants to talk to you._

I slowed to a halt. Wonderful. Just wonderful. He'd probably been preparing a nice speech so he could let me down easy. It would just be my luck to imprint on someone who wanted absolutely nothing to do with me.

Impatiently, Jake began replaying his last few memories for me. He'd seen me and Seth running all out into the woods from one of the windows in Nessie's room and immediately come downstairs to see if we'd caught wind of something. Edward had mind-yelled for him and Jake went out onto the porch. Edward filled him in before the two of them broke the news to an obviously confused Carlisle, who'd asked plaintively as they had a silent conference, if someone could just tell him what on earth was going on.

I cringed as I saw, through Jake's mind, his wide eyes and jaw practically on the ground. Crud. "Oh my." he said finally, blinking rapidly as he tried to wrap his mind around this new development. To his credit though, he recovered pretty quickly and posed a single question to Jake that pretty much guarantedd my eternal love and devotion. "How can I make this easier for her?" he asked.

Jake tactfully didn't comment on the gooey thoughts I started thinking about Carlisle and instead asked, _So are you coming back or what? He's standing here next to me and he's getting pretty antsy._

_Yeah, I'm on my way. _I replied as I turned back in the direction I'd run from. Seth joined me about halfway back and I felt bad for yelling at him like that. Sure, he'd goofed but he was my little brother. _Sorry bro._ I told him as he raced along together. _I didn't mean to freak out on you like that or anything._

_It's cool._ Seth replied cheerfully and I had to laugh. Nothing ever really seemed to get my brother down for too long and that was one of the things that I'd always liked about him. He just let things slide.

We were laughing and joking about some of the good ol' days as we trotted into the front yard of the Cullen house where Edward, Jake and Carlisle stood waiting for us. There were amused looks on Edward and Jake's faces while Carlisle looked a little sheepish. He was holding a pair of my shorts and a t-shirt in his hands. I could smell from where I was standing that they'd been freshly laundered and I wondered if I'd dreamed this man up. Seth made gagging noises loudly in my head, but I glared at him and he shut up pretty quickly.

Carlisle approached me cautiously, and I wagged my tail at him in an effort to show him that I wasn't going to hurt him. He smiled before setting the clothes down on the ground in front of me. "I thought you might want to wear something that didn't smell like "Eau d'Pine Needle"." he joked.

I barked a laugh before bending my head slightly and gently nuzzling his hand. His smile widened a little as he began pulling his cool fingers through the fur on top of my head. My eyes half-closed and there was a rumbling in my chest that was almost like a cat purring. "You're not so scary, are you?" he teased.

My eyes snapped open and before he could do anything, I'd pounced on him, my paws resting squarely on his shoulders as I held him down on the ground, my face rather close to his. He was surprised, but he did a good job of hiding it. Jake was guffawing while Edward and Seth were snickering. Carlisle just starred me down, one eyebrow raised and I decided to inflict a little "punishment" on him.

Giving him a toothy grin, I licked him all over his face. He tried to get away from me, but I wouldn't let him up. "Leah!" he groaned. I laughed smugly as I lightly hopped off of him, my tail held at a jaunty angle. He began wiping his face off on his shirt sleeve.

"That's quite a first kiss." Edward teased. Carlisle rolled his eyes and shook his head as he got to his feet. I took the clothes he'd washed and dried for me behind a tree and went behind another one to retrieve my little stash of underwear and bras. He may have been my imprint, but that didn't mean he got to see all of the assets up front, if you catch my drift.

I had my clothes pulled on and was trying to do something with my really nappy hair when I heard someone graceful coming toward me. I recognized the scent and tried to place it. It was the pixie-like one...Alice! That was her name.

"Hi Leah!" she said cheerfully as she came around my tree and I wondered if Edward had told the entire family I'd imprinted on their father. "I thought you might want a comb, so I brought you some to choose from."

She whipped out a little case and let me tell you what, she had enough combs, pics and round brushed to open a freakin' salon! I quickly selected a plain blue comb and before I could reach a hand up to my hair to figure out where the worst of the tangles were, Alice had a mirror in front of me. My hair was getting longer, but I kind of liked it that way. Maybe I'd grow it out a little.

"You have pretty hair." Alice commented as I combed it and I eyed her. She had a gleam in her eyes that alarmed me a little and I wondered what in the hell she was plotting. If she tried to take me shopping, there might be a smackdown. I did _not _go shopping willingly.

"Thanks." I said gratefully. Before I could even offer her back the comb, she'd rolled up her hair tools and was headed back for the house. Looked like I was keeping the comb, then.

Taking a deep breath, I left the sanctuary of my tree and began walking toward the front step. Carlisle was looking out into the forest but he immediately turned his focus to me once I'd left the treeline. He was staring at me rather intently and I wondered if I'd missed a leaf in my hair, or maybe I had my shirt on inside out.

"Forgive me." he said after a moment. "I've never really noticed how lovely you are, Leah."

Two sentences, and I was a puddle of goo. Would I spontaneously combust when I actually kissed him in human form? I gave him a small half-smile and joked, "All the guys say that after I tackle them."

He smiled appreciatively and I knew then and there I'd do anything to make hims smile like that again. "I was thinking we could go for a walk?" he said, cocking his head slightly to one side as he looked at me. He was giving me a choice, and I liked that. He didn't assume that he spoke for us both.

"That sounds good." I agreed and I fell into step beside him as we walked away from the prying ears of the others (and mind of Edward) toward the forest. This talk would either go well, or not so well and I was fervently hoping it would be the first option.

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	4. Conversation With Carlisle

_Here's chapter four already. Wow!. This one is seeming to write itself. Thanks to the people who are reading and reviewing this.  
_

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As we made our way deeper into the forest, I was having a hard time keeping my eyes on the ground in front of me. I kept sneaking sidelong glances at Carlisle's perfect face until he looked over at me himself. "Are we having a staring contest?" he teased gently.

I flushed bright red and decided to keep my gaze fixed on the trees in front of me. They weren't as interesting to me as his features, but we needed to talk and it would be easier if he felt like I had some semblance of sanity. Then again, I was pretty sure that I'd lost my mind, so who cared if he thought I was on the crazy side? Some guys liked crazy. Then again, it seemed that those guys were the ones on "Jersey Shore", so perhaps crazy wasn't all that desirable.

We emerged into a wide, open clearing where an old log lay on the ground. Carlisle sank down gracefully onto it and motioned for me to take a seat beside him. As I did so, he turned so he was able to look me in the eye. Oh boy. It was really going to be hard to concentrate properly, but I told myself to focus on his voice. "Jacob explained a few things about this to me." he began, "but I want to make sure that I got the proper information. I wouldn't put it past him to tell me something untrue in order to embarrass me, or you."

I snorted. That really _would_ be like Jake. "Okay...so what do you want to know?" I asked him nervously.

He considered for a moment before he spoke. "Jacob said that this is absolute for you. You would never want anyone else once you've imrpinted. Did I understand that right?"

"You did." I said with a small sigh. "That's why Sam, my old boyfriend, broke up with me. He met my cousin Emily one day and that was it. There was no looking back for him."

Carlisle looked horrified. "How could he do that to you?" he asked.

I was touched that he would be concerned on my behalf and hastened to explain. "This imprinting stuff...we have no control over it. It just happens, and we can't break the bonds between us, and the person we imprint on. We'll do anything for them, be anything they need us to be. Sam and I were trying to make things work. He genuinely cared about me, so it wasn't like he just abandoned me. And I know that he regrets the way it happened. He's really a good man."

Carlisle nodded for me to continue and I did. "When I was running after Seth blabbed to Edward, it felt like I was going the wrong way because I was going _away_ from you, not toward you. It's like...I have to be near you. Nothing's right for me unless you're there. You're my sun, the reason to live and keep going."

I shut my runaway mouth and looked away, biting my lip. I'd practically spilled my guts to him all in one sitting. Well, subtlely had never really been my strong suit. I was a "put all the cards on the table" kind of girl myself. He'd just have to deal with it.

"So does this mean that you...love me?" he asked hesitantly. He didn't looked freaked out; on the contrary, he looked like he was genuinely trying to understand what was going on so that he could make an informed choice about it.

This question made me think for a long moment. "I'm not sure." I said finally. "I mean, you're everything to me, but I don't really...know you all that well."

"Then we'll have to do something about that." he nodded. "This made sound strange, but perhaps we should start with a date."

Nobody in the pack had started with a date, but then again, none of them had imprinted on a full vampire either! And it made a certain amount of sense; you went on a date with someone to learn more about them. What they liked and disliked, and if you had anything in common with them. Carlisle was a sensible man and a date was a very practical and sensible place for us to start.

"I think we should." I replied, A thought struck me just then, and I couldn't help but giggle. Carlisle's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was so funny before he finally asked.

"It's just odd to be talking about something so...normal." I said inbetween giggles. "I mean, you're a vampire, I'm a werewolf...and we're talking about going on a date like we're 16 or something."

The corners of Carlisle's mouth twitched before he too started laughing. "You're absolutely right." he agreed, his golden eyes twinkling with amusement. "It really is such a normal thing to be talking about for two people who are as far from normal as we are."

"So where are we going?" I asked. I was rather looking forward to it, although let's face it; I'd go anywhere with him and we both knew it.

Carlisle pretended to be thinking very hard before he answered me. "I think I'll keep that to myself for the time being. And no pestering Edward to read my mind." he added with a mock glare. "No cheating."

"Fine." I sighed playfully and his face broke into that glorious smile I was quickly coming to love.

"We'd better head back before they think we've killed each other." he said with a grin. I nodded wordlessly as he held his hand out to me to help me off the log. I took it and as his fingers curled around mind, I vowed that I would get this man to love me. Even if I had to trot around in a hot pink leather skirt.

We started back, but Carlisle paused and looked at me seriously. "Leah, I just want you to know one thing."

"Yes?" I said. He was making me a little bit nervous and it must have showed on my face, because his face softened and he squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"I don't want you to change anything about yourself. I have a feeling that you, exactly as you are, will be enough for me."

"Same goes for you." I said finally. He didn't say anything, but he kept a hold of my hand as we walked back in comfortable silence toward the house. It seemed that things were finally going to be going my way for once.

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	5. Preparations

_Okay. So I've had a couple of people ask me about Esme, and I promise that she will be addressed in an upcoming chapter. I don't want to say too much, otherwise it will be given away, but I do plan to explain why she's not around. Just bear in mind that this is an alternate universe take on things, a "what if?" story, so to speak. Thanks to everyone who's been putting this story on their favorites list. I really appreciate it and it makes me fun for me to write this.  
_

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Jacob and Seth were waiting on the porch for us and I frowned a little. Usually, they were anxious to get away from me but here they were, almost like some kind of weird welcoming committee or something.

"Leah, I really need to talk to you about something." Jake said, looking uncomfortable as he folded his arms over his chest. Well, if he was this antsy and we hadn't even gotten down to business yet, this had the potential to be pretty good. Maybe I could scar him for life or something before it was over. I could hope, right?

"Okay, Jake. What's up?" I asked as Carlisle went into the house. Seth followed him and Jake motioned for me to walk with him as we made a wide circle around the house. He must not have wanted Edward in on the conversation and this only served to intrigue me further. What had Jake so paranoid?

"I was thinking that we should really tell Sam what happened." he said slowly.

Ah. I got it now. It was sort of sweet, in a strange way, that Jake was afraid of how I would react to this. But I was able to let that part of my go now, thanks to finding Carlisle. I wasn't hurting over him anymore, and I really didn't feel any resentment toward him, or my cousin. The last part of that thought stabbed me with guilt. I hadn't exactly been pleasant to Emily lately and I sighed. We were family, no matter what had happened. She didn't ask for Sam to imprint on her any more than he had.

"I think that's a good idea." I said, kicking at some loose dirt with my foot and sending it flying up into the air. "They should know how things have changed and it would be nice to see my mom and Emily. I can let them know what's happened on my end as well."

Jacob nodded. He looked highly relieved that I hadn't freaked out on him or demanded to know what he was smoking. "Great." he said, casting a look back toward the house. "Tomorrow work? I figure the sooner the better."

"Tomorrow works." I agreed and we turned toward the back door in silent unison.

"So you and the good doctor talked things over?" he asked with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and suppressed the urge to take a swipe at him. I _knew_ there had been another reason for Jake wanting to talk to me alone. But I had a rather wicked idea.

"Oh we talked..." I said in a suggestive voice. Jake shuddered and I snickered. He was probably thinking that Carlisle and I had been making out or something when that was so far from the truth.

"Like I really wanted to know that, Leah!" he protested, shaking his head.

"Just wait until the next time we phase. I can scar you for eternity." I shot back.

Jacob gaped at me for a moment in horror. "How fast are you people moving?" he squawked.

I shrugged nonchalantly as I opened the back door to the kitchen. "He's legal, and he's my imrpint. Why wait around?"

He gave a full body shudder as he kicked his shoes off and headed upstairs to see Nessie. I really had to work to keep my snickers suppressed. He was really just too easy to tease sometimes. Edward was in the room with Bella (who, by popular calculations was almost done with her "transformation) and Rosalie was talking to Emmett out in the garage.

Before I could decide if I wanted to join Seth on the couch and watch a little tv, Jake stuck his head into the stairwell. "Leah, get up here." he hissed. Immediately, I lightly trotted up the stairs and joined Jake in the doorway of Nessie's room.

Carlisle was holding her in his arms and singing to her softly. The song was obviously old, since the word "thou" hadn't been used in hundreds of years and I wondered if he was singing a song that he had known while he was alive. His voice sounded like what I thought gold would be, if it had been melted down. Even Jake was stock still, listening to the vampire singing to his grandchild.

_I have been ready at your hand,_  
_To grant whatever you would crave,_  
_I have both wagered life and land,_  
_Your love and good-will for to have.  
Greensleeves was all my joy,  
Greensleeves was my delight.  
Greensleeves was my heart of gold  
And who but my lady Greensleeves?_

Nessie yawned widely and Carlisle gently laid her down in the cradle that Jake had managed to scrounge up for her. "Sleep tight, my little one." he said in the same soft voice and it was only as he turned that he realized we were there.

"She's out like a light." he chuckled as he looked at Jake.

"She sure is." Jake agreed as he crossed the room and looked down at her. Carlisle tactfully left the room to leave them alone and I followed him.

"What's that song called?" I asked as we went back downstairs. He stood looking out the back window and smiled at me.

"It's a very old English song called "Greensleeves". I learned it from my friend John's mother when I was a boy."

So I had been right. It had indeed been a song that he'd sung when he was alive. I thought I'd heard a bit of an English accent creeping into the words and I wondered what his voice had sounded like, his real one. Not the American one he spoke with today. Maybe when I knew him better, I could ask him if he could recreate it for me.

"Where are we going on our date?" he asked me with a small smile. I looked at him for a moment before shrugging. "Surprise me." I challenged.

His smile was positively wicked and I hoped that I knew what I was getting myself into. "I can definitely do that." he promised. "Give me an hour to make a couple of phone calls, and then we'll be off."

Phone calls? Whatever this was going to be, it was probably going to be one heck of an adventure...

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	6. Carlisle's Story and The Date Revealed

_Thanks to all of you who have been reading this! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but between work and having to go to the library to use a computer, it hasn't been easy.  
_

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I sat in the living room while Carlisle was in the kitchen with his cell phone. I strained to hear what he was saying, but he turned a little radio that he had sitting on the counter on and I growled under my breath. It wasn't loud, but it was enough to mask what he was saying. He knew me well to know that I'd try to listen in on what he was saying.

He emerged into the living room a few minutes later, a smug smile on his face. I wondered what he was up to, but didn't ask. Instead, I merely raised an eyebrow and waited for him to speak.

"We're all clear to go." he said, grasping my hand and pulling me up to my feet.

"Where are we going?" I asked, fully expecting him to try and evade the question.

"Sequim." he asnwered readily and I frowned. I knew Sequim. It was a tiny little town known for its fishing, but not much else. Why on earth would he be taking me on a date in Sequim? I would find out, though.

He chuckled to himself as I got my shoes on and I rolled my eyes. "You know, it's not very nice to be laughing about something you have no intention of talking about." I reminded him in a mockly stern voice as he opened the passenger door of his black Mercedes for me before I even cleared the door into the garage. He immediately wiped the smile from his face and I laughed at him. He had old-fashioned manners, but it made a really nice change from the pack and I gave him a small smile as I climbed in and put my seatbelt on. Before I even had it clicked in, he was already in the driver's seat. Vampire speed was sort of impressive at times.

"Do you have any questions for me?" he asked lightly as we left the driveway and got onto Highway 101, heading east toward Port Angeles. Sequim was a little way past that.

"Like what?" I asked. I had a million of them and wondered if there were any topics that were off limits.

"Anything you want to know." he replied. "I am an open book to you."

I considered this carefully for a moment before I blurted out, "Just how old are you?"

He smiled as we went flying down the highway and I noticed how fast he was driving. He was in perfect control though, and always slowed down whenever there was a cop nearby. "I'm 363, give or take a couple of years. I'm not sure of exactly when I was born."

My brow furrowed. How could you not know exactly when you were born? Carlisle seemed to read the question in my face and continued on. "In my time, dates were not marked as accurately. I was born sometime in the 1640's, before Cromwell's reign but I don't know an exact year. I could be somewhere between 22 and 24, so I go with 23 as my physical age since it's right in the middle."

That made sense and I nodded. "Were you always a...vegetarian?" I asked, picking up the term I had heard Jake use a couple of times.

"Always." he answered immediately.

"Why?" came my immediate rejoinder.

He took a moment before he replied. "I never wanted to be like this." he said softly. "My father saw evil everywhere he looked and it was his mission to eradicate it. I was his only son, his heir if you will to his parish, for he was a preacher."

Carlisle's father was a preacher? That was an oxymoron if I ever heard one and he shot me a slightly amused glance before continuing his story. "When he grew too old to continue his raids against witches and other forms of evil, including vampires, he made it my job to continue this. But he was never satisfied with me, for I did not see what he did and I was careful to gather all of the facts before I acted."

His face still had a smile, though it twisted into a slightly bitter expression. "I was smart. Too smart, if you will, for I found a true coven of vampires in the sewers under the city of London. I gathered my father's parishioners and gave chase to them one night. One was an ancient, I am certain of it, for he called to his companions in Latin. I was a very fast runner as a human, and I caught up to him. He fell on me, biting into my neck. Two others were close by, however, and he left me to die in the street while he carried one of the men off to be his meal."

I was spellbound, hardly daring to breath as he talked. "I knew that if my father found me, he would have the bodies burned. I crawled away into a cellar and laid for three agonizing days while I was changed. It was only after that I realized what I had become. I was disgusted. I was evil, an abomination before the eyes of the church, and God. I tried to drown myself. I tried to leap from the highest cliffs I could. And yet, I remained whole. I wandered far from other humans, so I could not do what was done to me. Finally, crazy with hunger one night, I drained a deer. And something happened after I finished. I had eaten deer when I was human. Obviously, I could do the same now with the blood. And it was then that I began to have some hope for my existence. I swam to France and began to study in the universities there, far from the eyes of my father. It was there I discovered the art of medicine and found my true calling in life; healing others."

He smiled as he glanced at me, sitting so still. "You may talk, you know." he chuckled as we sped out of Port Angeles.

I had to laugh at this, though I felt bad for him. How hard was it to know that your own father would kill you without giving you a chance? I was glad I would never know what that felt like.

"I guess...I'm just taking it all in." I replied lightly and he smiled. It was a kinder smile this time, not as bitter as the other one had been.

"It is a lot to understand." he said kindly as we reached the beach in Sequim. I was utterly shocked at how little time it had taken us to get there and I didn't answer as he came around and unlocked my door. As I got out, a man immediately came up to greet us and it was then that I saw the hang gliders sitting in the sand.

"Seriously?" I demanded, looking at him. Nobody had ever taken me on a date this awesome before!

"Seriously." he laughed, his grin lighting up his face. I threw my arms around him before I thought about what I was doing. I quickly stepped back, going slightly red at my impetuous gesture, but a quick glance at his face told me that Carlisle was surprised, as well as pleased. Smiling to myself, I listened as Tom introduced himself to me and began guiding me through the finer points of hang gliding...

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	7. Safe Landing, First Kiss

_Wow! You guys really seem to dig this story and that makes it really nice for me as the writer to know that people are really enjoying it. Thanks for all of the kind comments and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.  
_

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Tom was a quick teacher and as he began buckling me into the harness that would tether me to my hang glider, I looked over at Carlisle, to see how he was faring. He was already tethered up and good to go. Had he done this before? I was beginning to see that he was really full of surprises and wondered how many people failed to see the man underneath the handsome face.

He noticed me looking at him and smiled. He looked amused, though, and as Tom went to go make sure the sand dune that we would be launching off of was clear, I whispered, "What's so funny?" and his smile turned into an out and out grin.

"I tried one of these out when it was first invented in the 1890's in Germany." he chuckled as he hefted his hang glider off of the ground. "My friend, poor Otto Lilenthal, thought that he'd killed me after I got caught in a thermal one day and the hang glider ripped in half. I fell about 400 feet or so."

I gasped and Carlisle quickly placed a hand on my forearm. His touch immediately calmed me down and he went on. "It would take more than that to knock me out, of course. So I became Otto's crash test dummy, for want of a better term."

"_You_ were a crash test dummy?" I asked, inbetween giggles. That particular termiology had painted a really funny mental image in my head. Carlisle shot me a mock glare before laughing a little himself.

"Don't tell my children." he pleaded, his face holding an expression of mock despair. "I have enough trouble getting them to behave. If they know I did something that silly, they'll never respect me again."

I pretended to ponder the merits of this for a few minutes. "I don't know..." I said, my brow furrowing in deep thought. "It would be _really_ funny to see their faces when they find out their stuffy old dad has done something cooler than all of them put together..."

Carlisle rolled his eyes in a manner that my mom would have admired but before he could make a retort, Tom returned to where we were standing with a smile on his face. "It's all clear! We'll start with the sand dune today, just so you can get used to steering the gliders. They're harder than they look. Leah, just imitate Carlisle. He knows what he's doing."

I nodded as I followed the vampire up the nice-sized sand dune and watched. He ran over the crest, pushing off with his right leg to give himself some torque. I did the same and found myself just hanging in the sky. If I hadn't been able to look down and see the ground moving under me, I would have thought I was placed there, like a picture on a nail.

Turning my head to the right, I could see Carlisle sailing along beside me. Tom was right; he really did know what he was doing. I made mental notes of the way he moved the bars as well as shifting his body weight to make the hang glider turn or go higher or lower.

We glided for a few miles along the shore line and I couldn't believe everything I could see. There were tide pools and every so often, Carlisle would point out interesting sights, some of them much more interesting that others! We both shuddered over the larger man who obviously thought he was sexy enough for a Speedo, but I never wanted to see that again! The sea stars and fish were much more to my liking, though. I hadn't been out to this section of the beach for a while. My father had taken us to Sequim a couple of times for the fishing when Seth and I were younger, but neither one of us were real big on fishing, so those expeditions had stopped as we'd gotten older. If I'd know then what I knew now, I would have kept going out there with my father, but that's the way hindsight works.

Carlisle finally called that we should turn back while we still had enough momentum and light to make a landing without killing ourselves (or the hang glider, in his case. He was a little sturdier than me.). I shouted back my agreement over the wind and made my turn (it was pretty wide, but I did it!) and witnessed his turn as I came back the other way. He could turn that thing on a dime and I had to admre his skill.

The landing was a little rougher than the launch, or the flight itself. I almost fell over, but Carlisle was able to snag me (he'd landed first) and save me from any embarrassment. I leaned on him a few seconds longer than was strictly necessary, but broke away when Tom asked cheekily, "Do you two want to be alone?"

Carlisle shook his head and gave Tom a light, good-natured shove as we helped him fold the hang gliders up and pack everything back into his Jeep. As he drove away with a honk and a cheerful wave, I looked at Carlisle. "Where do you know him from?" I asked curiously while we ambled over to his car. We were in no rush to get home.

"Tom was in a car accident in Forks about 2 years ago." he explained, unlocking the door and holding it open for me again as I got in. I could really get used to the whole "gentleman" thing. He went around to his own side and resumed his narrative once he was inside the vehicle himself. "I was the attending physician and it was partly because of my abilities that we were able to save Tom's hand."

There was no arrogance in his voice; only a sense of pride that he had been able to help someone. "Tom told me that if I ever wanted to go hang gliding, I should call him. I'd never have to pay because I was able to help him keep doing what he loved to do."

I smiled at this and looked out over the blue water; the sun was setting, casting colors of red and orange across the waves. It was a vibrant sunset, one of the best I could remember seeing recently. "Nice sunset..." I commented.

"Very." Carlisle agreed staring out across the ocean, and I turned to look at his face in the fading light. There was something about the sunset that seemed to bring out the light in him, like he was some kind of beacon.

He turned and looked at me as well. I don't know how long we sat there, just looking at each other, but it wasn't uncomfortable. We didn't need to fill the silence with silly small talk; I was comfortable with him, and he was comfortable with me.

Almost in perfect unison, we both leaned toward each other. We were like magnets, being drawn together and before the sun could fully sink below the horizon, our lips met and it was there on the beach at Sequim that we shared our first kiss.

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	8. Scarring The Boys

_Yet another chapter! The next one should be pretty long and as always, let me know what you guys think!  
_

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Carlisle's lips were a lot softer than I was expecting and it felt like I'd finally found my place in the world; being with him. Even among my own people, I'd never really had a feeling of completeness and belonging. He drew back from me reluctantly, a small little smile on his face, but his eyes had a light in them I couldn't remember seeing before. I was wondering, for a split second, why he hadn't really kissed me throughly, but as I considered it for a moment, I knew that it would go against his gentlemanly honor code. "I think that went well." he chuckled as he put out a cool hand and brushed some of my hair back from my face with a feather light touch.

"It went well?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. It had been a pretty damned nice kiss from where I was sitting, thank you very much! Then again, the only other guy I'd ever kissed was Sam, so I didn't exactly have a lot of experience or anything. I crossed my arms over my chest and felt my lower lip going out in a pout.

"Now, now." Carlisle said, turning my head to look at him. "I was only teasing you."

"Uh huh." I teased back, sniffing as I pretended to look out the window in a huff.

He was silent for a moment, so I turned back to make sure that he knew I was only joking with him. I wasn't prepared to find his face _this_close to mine. "Please don't be mad at me..." he pleaded in a voice that would have made butter melt into a puddle. His golden eyes were beseaching me to have mercy on him and he was pouting himself. Dear Lord, I was _never_ going to be able to resist that pout. Hell's bells. He would be able to get anything he wanted from me if he did that!

"I'm not." I sighed and his pout turned back into his beautiful smile. "Good." he said before he returned his lips to mine. We weren't making out or anything, but somehow, his kisses were better than anything I'd ever had before. This time, I was brave enough to run my fingers along his jaw as he kissed me. His arm came around my shoulders and even after we'd broken apart for the second time, he held onto me. I didn't mind and rested my cheek against his shoulder. He was more solid than I would have thought and it was almost like his shoulder was made for my head alone.

"We'd better start back to Forks before the police come and ticket us for parking out here." he laughed, but there was some regret in his voice. I had to laugh with him, and felt a little smug. Maybe I was doing something right here.

"You know, it'd be really funny to tell Jacob and Seth that anyway..." I said with a devious snicker. Jacob deserved all the scarring in the world and if Seth got a little on the side, it would only be a bonus in my book.

"I have a sinking feeling they're going to be scarred for life." Carlisle commented in amusement as he got back onto Highway 101 and sped back toward Forks. As we drove, I told him about how I'd already given Jacob some scar tissue in his brain earlier that day. He surprised me when he let out a big belly laugh. Usually, he was pretty cool and reserved, but I liked this more carefree side of him.

"You're something else entirely, Leah." he said, shaking his head as we neared the Cullen house.

"So are you, Mr. Crash Test Dummy." I shot back. He grinned at me and I wondered if I would ever get over the effect he had on me. He was just everything I could have dreamed of in a man.

"You two are finally home." Edward said as we entered the house through the garage. "I was beginning to think that maybe you'd fallen into the ocean or something." Seth and Jacob were sitting on the couch and laughed as Edward said this. Carlisle gave his "son" a mock glare, but Edward looked distinctly unrepentant and much to my surprise, Carlisle spoke.

"Well, we would have been out a lot later, but a police officer told us to get a move on." Carlisle said brightly. Edward shuddered as Seth and Jacob both groaned aloud.

"All right Pops!" Emmett said, reaching out to Carlisle with a huge fist. Carlisle bumped it with his own and the gesture was so awkward on him that I couldn't suppress a giggle. Alice and Rosalie were both laughing as well and even Seth stopped howling long enough to find it funny.

I yawned behind my hand, but Carlisle wasn't fooled. "You need some rest." he declared and I wasn't going to argue with him. He and Alice found me a blanket and I curled up on the couch.

"Did you have a good time?" he asked as he put another pillow under my head.

"The best." I declared. "Despite the cop."

A few "ewws!" came from the kitchen and Carlisle winked at me. "I'm glad. I'll take you out again in a couple of days." Bending down, he brushed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Sleep tight, my Leah."

"Good night, Carlisle." I replied, lifting my head long enough to kiss his smooth cheek before laying down and letting sleep claim me.

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	9. Seeing Sam

_Sorry I wasn't able to update for so long. It's Fair Week in town, and I've also been working extra shifts at work, so I apologize. Hopefully things should be a little more steady after this week. Got to see Weird Al live on Tuesday! Whee!  
_

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I groaned as I lifted my head and glared at the sunlight coming in through the window. "Stupid sun." I mumbled before returning my head to where it had lain. Something was off, though. It wasn't my pillow; this headrest was distinctly harder. Also, pillows didn't laugh. Blinking a few times, I squinted as I lifted my head again. My eyes found Carlisle's face. He looked very amused.

"Hello sleepy head." he teased.

"Hi." I said, trying to hide a yawn behind my hand. "Since when are you my pillow?"

He smiled and there was a softness in his face as he looked at me. "You kicked the blanket off and I was tucking it back around you when you said my name. I waited to see if you were awake, but you didn't say anything more until I stood up to go get my book. You said "Don't go" and reached around like you were trying to find me. So I stayed here with you instead."

I wanted to groan. Great. I was even aware of him in my sleep, it seemed. But he wasn't looking upset or weirded out. In fact...he almost seemed flattered by this. Well, at least he wasn't going to think that I was a freak of nature.

"Jacob asked me to tell you to hurry, once you got up." Carlisle continued. "He wants to go talk to Sam today."

I sighed. Sam. This was going to be _wonderful_. I agreed that we needed to do it...but I didn't know how well Sam was going to react to me imprinting on Carlisle. Even though we weren't together anymore, he seemed to think that it was his job to look out for me. Hell, he'd even told some of the guys off for things that they'd said to me.

"Okay." I grumbled as I got to my feet. Carlisle rose smoothly as well and kissed me on the forehead.

"Don't worry. Jacob won't let anything happen to you. If he does, he'll have _me _to deal with." he declared. I smiled a little as I heard the unspoken threat in Carlisle's voice. He was a peaceful man, but I had the feeling if you pushed him too far or messed with someone that meant something to him, you were in for a surprise.

I showered quickly and got my clothes on before meeting Jake downstairs. He was going to take Edward's car and I got into the passenger seat. It was funny how much I preferred it when Carlisle opened the door for me, but I wasn't going to say anything to Jake. He already had enough ammo on me to last a century.

We were both silent as we made the drive out to La Push. Stopping near the treaty line, we both climbed out and waited. Knowing Sam, he'd have people watching the line and we were proved correct when Embry, Quil and Sam emerged from the trees. I was a little surprised to see that Sam had come himself, but then again, maybe he'd been expecting us to make contact.

Jacob spoke, once Sam was in human form. Quil and Embry remained wolves, which again made sense. It also bothered me a little. We were at least _trying_ to be friendly about this.

"Jacob." Sam said shortly. Jake nodded to him.

"Sam."

"Why are you here?" he asked immediately.

"We're here because we just wanted to pass a couple of things along." Jake said easily, leaning against the Volvo. Sam's eyes tightened as he took in the fact that this was Edward's car. All kinds of judgment passed over his face before he nodded to Jake, letting him know he should proceed.

"Leah and I both imprinted." Jake said calmly.

Sam's eyes widened and Quil and Embry yelped in surprise. "You...both...did?" Sam asked, his brow furrowed as though he was trying to understand this.

"Yes." Jacob responded. "I imprinted on Renesme, Bella's daughter...and Leah imprinted on Carlisle."

Sam's head snapped over to look at me and I was surprised to see anger on his face. "Carlisle? The head of the coven? I guess you go for powerful men, don't you Leah." he snapped. Jake gaped at him.

At one time in my life, this would have wounded me. But I was past that now, and he had just insulted both me, and him. Sam could say what he wanted about me. I didn't care. However, there was no way in _hell_ he was going to get off scot free for what he'd just said about my mate.

"Yes, Sam, I imprinted on Carlisle." I hissed back. Quil and Embry were shifting around nervously.

"Are you sure about that?" Sam scoffed. "Are you sure you aren't just doing this to make my life a little _more _difficult.

Anger surged through me. How _dare_ he imply that I was just "pretending" that I had imprinted. My life didn't revolve around him, and words were flying out of me like bullets before I could even think about stopping them."You know what, Sam? He's more of a man than you could ever _hope_ to be. And I'm sorry to tell you that you aren't the center of the universe for me anymore. So you stay out of his way, and stay out of mine because I swear, if you ever hurt him, you'll need wolf dentures by the time I'm done with you!"

Sam starred at me and opened his mouth to say something, but I turned and phased, my feet bringing me back toward Forks and in the direction of the one person who could calm me down before I went back there and turned Sam into steaks.

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	10. The Injury

_I apologize for the amount of time its taken me to update. I picked up some more hours at work and haven't been able to get to the library to use the computer. Luckily, my friend Emily was kind enough to let me use her home computer._

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I seethed as I ran back toward Forks. I couldn't _believe_ Sam had acused me of only "pretending" to imprint on Carlisle so I could get back at him! It was ridiculous: I knew how serious of a thing imprinting was and even though I was as up for a joke as the next person, I would never have treated finding your soul mate that lightly. Maybe the Almighty Sam didn't know me as well as he obviously thought he did.

My thoughts were still debating between disembowlment and just straight up murder when I came to my "changing room" as I called the tree where I had all of my clothes hidden. I hurriedly changed and began marching up toward the house. Seth met me at the door, his face a little apprehensive.

"What's up? I asked as I studied him.

"Alice says that Bella's almost done." he informed me. "Jake's with Rosalie and Nessie just in case..."

His voice trailed off, but he didn't have to finish the thought for me to get it. Jake wanted to be there just in case Bella flipped out or something. I could understand his reasoning, and looked around for my own imprintee. I didn't see Carlisle anywhere.

"He's up with Edward, waiting." Seth supplied as he guessed who I was looking for.

"Of course." I sighed as I took a seat on the sofa. Seth hesitantly took his own seat beside me, looking at me as though I was a bomb about to go off.

"I take it things didn't go so good with Sam..." he said softly.

I snorted derisively. "It didn't. He pretty much accused me of being with Carlisle to get back at him. I mean, he flat out asked me if I was really sure that I had imprinted! If someone else had asked him that about Emily, he would have torn them limb from limb! Yet he gets free liscense to act like a jerk because he's the leader of the friggin' pack. At least I'm out here with Jake and not back there with him." I growled.

Seth shook his head. "Shows how much Sam knows." he grumbled and I looked at him. I'd never really stopped to consider how Seth viewed Sam after things had happened with Emily. Seth had always adored my ex-boyfriend, but now that I thought about it, there had definitely been a cooling of the relationship there.

"Yeah, it does." I agreed as I put my feet up on the coffee table.

Suddenly, voices came from upstairs and they didn't sound happy. Jake came running downstairs and Bella was in hot pursuit. Emmett and Rosalie were outside immediately, along with Jasper, Alice, and Carlisle. Seth and I followed double quick to make sure nothing happened. Bella was yelling at him and I deduced that it was about his imprinting on Nessie. It was really weird, I had to give her that.

As he said the name "Nessie", she bent down like she was going to leap at him. Carlisle immediately put himself inbetween Jake and her, and I couldn't just stand there. I fursploded and lept at her. She took a swing at me, and it was then that I felt something pop in my shoulder, and a loud "crack!" sounded in the air.

Bella immediately stopped, her hand covering her mouth in horror. Alice flitted away and got some clothes for me. Together, she and Jasper carried me to my tree and she stayed while I phased back. I was swearing under my breath as she helped me dress. My shoulder hurt like fury.

We went in to the living room, where everyone was gathered. "I'm sorry, Leah." Jake said. "I should have been closer."

"No, _I'm_ sorry." Bella moaned. "I can't believe I did that!"

"You're a newborn, my dear." Edward said soothingly. "You can't beat yourself up for this."

I glared at him and to my surprise, so did Carlisle. He was examining me with lightening fast vampire speed. "You'll be fine, my dear." he said soothingly as he got a brace around my shoulder. "It's a break, but not a bad one. You should be fine in a few hours."

I nodded, and immediately wished I hadn't. He curled his arm around me and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"You two are...?" Bella asked, shock in her voice. She took a step toward me, but stopped immediately when a low, menacing growl filled the room. At first, it sounded like an angry wolf and I wondered if Seth had fursploded. However, I quickly realized that this noise was issuing from right beside me!

Everyone stared at Carlisle, and Bella immediately backed away. His growl died down and Emmett chuckled. "Don't mess with Dad's girl." he joked.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, but everyone got a chuckle out of it, including me. Carlisle didn't back away from me, though, even when Edward had taken Bella to go hunting. "I'm sorry you're hurt, Leah." he said softly. His gold eyes were full of regret. "I've messed up your life several times, haven't I?"

The others melted away, leaving the two of us alone. "What are you talking about?" I asked, confused. My life was good again because of him.

"If we'd never come here, you would still be with Sam. He would never have imprinted on Emily and Bella would never have hurt Jacob like she did. All of these happened because of me..."

I wasn't about to let him wallow in misery, so I grabbed his face with my good hand and made him look me in the eye. "You listen to me, Carlisle Cullen." I said fiercely. "You're 20 times the man Sam will ever be. You care about people. You've always cared, even when what you are would have given you free reign to be a monster. You chose to be something more, something better. I belong to you, and I'm very proud to belong to you. You've made everything I've been through the last two years worth it. So stop saying stupid stuff, and kiss me."

"Never let it be said I ignore good advice." he said with a small smile and he lowered his face to mine.

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	11. Esme Explained

_So here it is...the explination of what happened with Esme.  
_

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I returned my head to his shoulder after I was finished kissing him and he looked down at me, a look of concern on his face. "Jacob told me that Sam was...rather unhappy about you and I."

Rolling my eyes, I sighed. "Jake has a big mouth, but yeah. Sam wasn't exactly thrilled about it. I got out of there fast so I wouldn't rip him to shreds."

"Good." Carlisle nodded. "If he even _breathed_ on you the wrong way, I would make myself a new wolf-skin rug for the living room."

I'd never heard his voice that low or angry before and I had to admit...it was sort of sexy in a weird way.

"However...as much as I don't care fo the way he handled it, I can understand how hard it can be to let go of someone that you honestly care about." he sighed. There was a heavy story there: I could hear it in his voice.

"You're speaking from experience, I take it." I said lightly. He nodded and gave me the saddest smile I'd ever seen.

"Yes, I am. I had my own Sam back in the 1920's. Her name was Esme."

He paused for a moment, and I caught on immediately. "Wait a minute! Esme...Renesme...that's where Edward got the second part of her name!"

Carlisle nodded. "I rescued Esme as I did Edward...but it wasn't the ending I had envisioned."

I patted his cheek with a gentle hand and said softly, "If you're ready to tell me, I promise to listen."

He took a moment to gather his thoughts before he began speaking. "I had met Esme when she was 16. She had fallen out of a tree and broken her leg. I was the only doctor for miles around and so I was called to treat her. She was lively and a kind-hearted girl. She made me laugh, and teased me as though she had known me for years. Even after I had left, there was something about her that stayed with me and I wondered what would become of her."

Shifting slightly, he gathered me into his arms and arranged me so that I wouldn't hurt my shoulder as he took a seat on the couch. "About 9 years later, after I had changed Edward, I took a job working the night shift in a hospital...and it was then that I met Esme again."

Pain crossed his face and I realized how hard telling me this story was. I curled an arm around him as he soldiered on. "She had been severly beaten, and left for dead by her scum of a husband, Charles Evenson."

Even now, he spoke the man's name with venom and I scowled myself. How a man could beat a woman was beyond me. "She was with child. and the outlook was bleak for both her, and the baby. I knew that if she survived, she and her son would be going back to Charles. So I did the only thing I could: I smuggled her out of the hospital by night and we went on the move. We ended up in Maine and for a month, she and Edward and little William were my family."

He bit his lip. "William was a sickly child, though. He wasn't very strong and when he passed away, so did Esme's will to live. She would not eat, would not drink. Edward and I tried everything to get her to come around. We had told her what we were, and she accepted us. We planned that when William was old enough, I would change her and we would be a family forever. But with him gone, her dreams and wishes of a life with Edward and I fell away. I spoke to her often, trying to help her see that this wasn't the end for her. But in the end, I could not reach her."

Carlisle's voice broke and I pressed my cheek against his. He closes his eyes before opening them again and speaking again. His gaze was far away, in the past. "I knew she would die soon, and as I spoke to her one last time, she made me promise that no matter what happened...I would not change her. She wanted to be with William, and I gave her my word that I would not. Edward was furious: He raged, he shouted, he pleaded, he begged. He told me that if I changed her anyway, perhaps she would forgive me in time, and we could truly be a family again. But I had given my word to her and though I loved her, I would not take her choice away from her. So I let her die."

He exhaled slowly. "Edward resented me for that for a long time. He even left me for a few years to go his own way but in the end, he came back. Soon after, we found Rosalie and through her came Emmett. Alice and Jasper joined us last. Until he met Bella, Edward didn't truly understand what it meant to let someone have their choice."

Looking into my eyes, Carlisle smiled a little. "Don't judge Sam too harshly, Leah. He still cares about you and if his word means as much to him as mine does to me, he wants to keep his promises to you, even if he has to do it in a little different way."

I grumbled a little, but I could see his point. Sam wasn't a bad guy: just over protective sometimes. Maybe I'd talk to him soon. Maybe.

As the night grew darker, my eyes grew heavier. "Do you still think about her?" I asked sleepily.

"I do, but I can think of her fondly now that you're here, my Leah. Sleep." Carlisle said softly and as he kissed my forehead, he began to hum and I fell asleep in his arms.

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_Please read and review. Thanks so much!_


	12. A Talk With Mom

_Another chapter! Whee! Thank you to all the people who've put this on their alerts lists as well as favorites. I appreciate it._

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The next days and weeks swirled around everybody in the house. With Renesme growing so quickly, Carlisle and the others were trying to figure out how long she had (even though nobody would say that out loud). There were some legends from the Ticuna tribe somewhere in South America, and Edward and Carlisle thought it made sense to start there and see if there was any truth to the tales. This meant that we would be taking a "road trip" as Emmett was jokingly calling it.

Jake and I were going to accompany the Cullen family on this little expedition and I found to my surprise that I got along pretty well with the other members of Carlisle's family. Sure, Rosalie and I were never going to be BFFs, but we were cordial to each other and never got into any heated arguments. Her and Jake on the other hand bickered all the freaking time. Even Carlisle got sick of it and ordered Emmett to take Rosalie out for some grizzly before he lost his mind.

We were all busy and concerned, but Carlisle still found the time for "mini dates" as he liked to call them. Sometimes it was as simple as the two of us taking a walk in the forest and talking for a while. One of my favorites was the night that the meteor showers would be visible. I purposefully went to bed really early and got up at 2 in the morning to go up on the roof with him. We saw some many meteors, there was no way for me to count all of them, even though I tried. He also liked to leave little notes in certain places for me, like the tree I used to hide myself when I phased, or even on the coffee table in front of the couch that had pretty much become my bed. Sometimes the notes were sweet and sometimes they were really funny.

Things were going well for me, but I still hadn't spoken to Sam again. I'd gotten a chance to call my mother and found out from her that pretty much Sam was the only one who truly had a problem with Carlisle and I. She was certainly surprised, but she at least tried to have an open mind about it. Billy Black had no issues with it (mostly because of the way that Carlisle had helped Jake after the newborn army had attacked and he'd gotten hurt shoving me out of the way). Even old Quil was better about than Sam, and that surprised me. I would have thought out of all of them, old Quil would have been on Sam's side. Jake had his suspicions that his dad had talked to him before Sam could get there. Either way, it meant that the council wasn't totally mad at me, or at my mate.

Charlie had even started coming for visits. Jake had taken a huge gamble, but it had paid off. The poor guy still didn't know what to make of everything, but my mom had almost appointed herself his guardian and lately, there had been a few things that were making me suppose that it was no accident. Seth was pretty pleased about this, and even though I missed my dad a lot, I knew he wouldn't have wanted Mom to shut herself from the world for the rest of her life. Taking care of Charlie had given my mom a new purpose and she also made no bones about the fact that she also came with Charlie mainly to see me.

She'd tried really hard to remain aloof from Carlisle on her first visit but as with most people, he was able to break down her walls because he was just so utterly...sincere. He never had an ulterior motive or sneaky reason for doing something. He was an open book, and Mom had always been a pretty decent judge of character. She'd talked with him for a while and admitted reluctantly to me afterward that I could do a lot worse. It wasn't until the third time she'd spoken with him that she confessed he would make a good addition to the family. She approved of the way that we were trying to really get to know each other before making any sort of larger commitment and even she could find no fault with the way that he treated me.

"You know sweetheart," she mused as we sorted Seth's and my laundry in the basement before loading it into the washer, "I think Carlisle suits you far better than Sam ever did."

"Really?" I asked curiously as I got all of the darks into one pile. "What makes you say that?"

Mom thought for a moment as the washer began to fill with water. "Well...both you and Sam are so headstrong that you would be butting heads constantly. You need someone who can compromise without turning it into a battle. As the Alpha, Sam expects his words to be followed. You would challenge him and I could see things getting heated between you. Also, you need to be with a person who's not a fighter."

"Opposites attract?" I chuckled.

She swatted my arm good-naturedly, but chuckled all the same. "There's something to that, you know. You can take care of yourself; you don't need a protector. Sam is the protector of the entire tribe and considers it his duty to protect you too, which would make you crazy. Carlisle is just able to accept you as you are. He knows that he doesn't have to go rushing after you everytime something happens. He has faith that you'll call him if you need him, but he's not going to intrude until then. He's your soft place to fall when you need one, honey. The guys love you like a sister, but you could never be girly or anything around them because they'd tease you like there's no tomorrow!"

There was truth in that statement and I laughed. "Carlisle would never tease you, or think any less of you because you have emotions like the rest of us girls." Mom continued, her voice soft. "He's just...perfect for you. I had my doubts in the beginning, I'll be honest. But he's a decent man...whatever race he is."

I smiled. "I know he is." I replied quietly. "He's been great for me and weirdly, even for Seth. Carlisle can actually get him to talk when something's bothering him."

Mom gasped theatrically and put a hand to her chest. "Seth, admit something's wrong? Stop the presses!"

"I know, right?" I laughed as we began to climb the stairs back to the main floor. Seth would always paint a smile on his face instead of telling someone when he was angry or sad. But Carlisle (sometimes with the help of Edward the mind reader) could always tell when my little brother really needed to talk and he was able to get Seth to admit whatever it was that he was truly feeling. Needless to say, Seth absolutely adored Carlisle. Edward sometimes joked that I'd better watch out before Seth decided to marry Carlisle before I could get there!

Several people were gathered in the living room. Charlie was indulgently watching Nessie playing with his badge. She loved to hold it and look at it every time he came over and of course, being a pushover grandpa, he let her. Jacob was sitting the floor, watching Nessie like she was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen while Carlisle sat, a book in his hands.

I took a seat next to him while my mom went and sat with Charlie. I wiggled my eyebrows at her and she rolled her eyes at me, but there was still a small smile on her face and I figured that my suspicions there were right, even though neither of them would admit to anything. Carlisle immediately looped his arm around my shoulders and this time, my mom was the one teasing me as she pretended to swoon.

Carlisle winked at her and she had to fight hard not to start cracking up. "She likes you, you know." I murmured as I settled my head against his shoulder. Charlie gave us a strange look for a few seconds before returning his attention to Nessie. He'd found it quite weird that Carlisle and I were together, but Mom had explained it to him somehow and I didn't even ask.

"I like her too." he said. His voice was so soft that no normal human could hear it, but I could and I smiled a little. Curled against his side, I wondered what tomorrow would bring.

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_Please read and review. Thanks so much!_


	13. Second Meeting With Sam

_I'm really sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated this. My life got pretty crazy, but they're calming down now and I should be able to finally get this thing finished! Hopefully, you'll find it's been worth the wait.._

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It had been a nice day outside. Jacob and Nessie were playing their hunting game as they always did and Carlisle and I decided to accompany them. I was in my wolf form, trotting alongside Carlisle as we wound our way through the trees. We watched them play as Bella and Edward made sure Nessie was all right.

"I wish I knew what to do for her..." he sighed. I looked up at him to find a sad, worn look on his face. He'd been researching for months and was still no closer to being able to tell just how much time the girl had left.

I heaved a sigh and leaned against his leg. This won me a reluctant smile as he began pulling his fingers through my fur. The action seemed to calm him a little and I didn't exactly mind myself.

Carlisle suddenly stiffened and hurried to where Bella stood in the clearing, holding Nessie. My sharp wolf eyes could see a vampire off in the distance. Her mouth was open and a look of horror was on her face. Before anyone could react, she was off through the forest.

"Tanya!" Edward called desperately but she didn't look back.

"Let me go after her." Carlisle said urgently and he nodded.

_Leah, go with him. _Jake said this quickly, knowing that I didn't want to be apart from him for even a moment.

_Got it._ I replied.

Even with my speed, I was hard pressed to keep up with him. His claims that he'd been fast as a human must've been pretty accurate because the pack had had little trouble taking Laurant down but we would've had a _very_ hard time if Carlisle was the one we'd had to chase down. We tailed her almost all the way down to the border before the trail ran out.

"Damn!" Carlisle said under his breath and I let out a huff of amazement. He never used words like that, so I knew that he must be fairly upset to let something as simple as a "damn" slip out.

Before I could make a move, howls came from the woods. Great. We had company.

I groaned when the wolves emerged from the trees. It was Sam, with Embry and Quil. Our day just kept getting better and better. Sam gave me a dirty look, which I returned. My hackles rose, but Carlisle put a hand on the back of my neck and I calmed down a little. I growled at Embry when he tried to step toward Carlisle though. They got the message and stood back. Sam studied us for a moment before trotting behind a tree. It was really weird not to be able to hear what he was thinking, but I'd take it on the whole.

He returned from behind the tree, arms crossed over his chest. "What're you doing here?" he demanded.

"A friend was passing through the area and she came this way. We were trying to catch her, but she had a head start." Carlisle replied calmly. _He_ was trying to be respectful, at least even though Sam really didn't deserve it.

"Is she like you?" Sam asked, his tone still hostile.

"Yes. She and her family live in Alaska and adhere to the same rules that we do."

"If we find her, we'll leave her alone." he replied brusquely. He looked over at me. "Still playing your game with him, Leah?"

A low rumble of thunder errupted from Carlisle's chest and even _I _backed away a little. Sam's eyes were wide as he looked at my now extremely pissed-off mate. I was surprised to see that his eyes were black, no hint of gold in them at all. "Insult her in my presence again wolfling, and you will be dragging youself around this forest on two legs. Am I understood?"

His voice was rough, and there was more accent in his voice than usual. Sam nodded dumbly and Carlisle turned on his heel and melted into the forest. Giving Sam one last dirty look, I headed after him. He had only gone a few paces before his stopped. "Forgive me, my Leah." he sighed. "Between Renesme, and the tensions with the wolves, I fear that my nerves are becoming frayed."

I shrugged as best as I could and walked on, my tail held at a jaunty angle. Sure, call me a bitch...but listening to him threaten Sam was _wonderful_.


	14. Talking

_I was quite surprised to see how quickly some of you reviewed this after it was put up! I'm glad you're still enjoying this._

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We got back to the house as quickly as we could and Carlisle immediately shook his head in question to Edward's questioning look as we came through the door. "We weren't able to catch up to her." he sighed, sinking down onto the sofa. I sat down beside him and he took my hand in his and he continued. "We pursued her all the way down to the cliffs, but did not dare cross the boundary into the Quileute lands. Sam and two of the others were there and...we exchanged some words."

"Did you punch him in the face?" Emmett asked eagerly. Rosalie rolled her eyes and elbowed him. "What?" he asked, looking at her. "It's a legitimate question!"

"If I had remained there a few seconds longer, I very well may have." Carlisle admitted. Everyone was staring at him. He was the one noted for his self control, his compassion. Of all of the Cullens who would've gotten into a brawl, he'd be dead last on the list.

"What hapened?" Seth asked curiously.

Carlisle's jaw tightened and his tone was low again when he spoke. "He dared to imply that Leah was playing games with my affections. I informed him that if he made such accusations in my hearing again, he would be performing his duties on two legs instead of four."

Jasper looked impressed, as did Emmett. Edward seemed like he didn't know what exactly to think and Jake just chuckled. "Sounds like you sure told him, Gramps!"

Carlisle shook his head, but he had a reluctant smile. Jake had found it rather funny that Carlisle would be his "grandpa-in-law" someday so he'd started calling my imprint "Gramps". I told him if he _ever_ starting calling me "Grandma", I'd have to string him from a tree. Carlisle added sweetly that he'd help and Jake got the message pretty quickly.

"Sam could be an ass sometimes." Seth said serenely. "Especially after all of this Alpha stuff happened."

"He has to be in control." Carlisle reminded him. "I may not approve of his methods, but he does what he must. Making erroneous judgments about the nature of my relationship with Leah is _not_ a part of his job. I merely reminded him of this."

"Bet he got the message loud and clear." Jake snickered.

Moving so quickly I could barely make out the movement, Carlisle picked up a pillow and chucked it at Jake. He squawked and fell backward out of his chair. Rosalie, Emmett and Seth were rolling with laughter while Carlisle just sat, a smug smile on his face. "Perhaps there's a message for you as well, Jacob." he chuckled.

"Yeah...I think I got it Gramps." Jake replied as he got back into his chair. Even Nessie seemed amused by his little tumble.

"What do we do about Tanya?" Edward asked, concern on his face.

"There is nothing we _can_ do, son." Carlisle said, resting his chin on his hand as he thought. "Alice, can you watch her decisions? If she returns to Denali, I can visit and attempt to talk with her."

"Of course, Carlisle." she nodded. "I'll keep a very close eye on her decisions."

I'd always thought Alice was a little freaky when I found out what her "talent" was, but I got along with her the best of all the Cullens besides Carlisle and surprisingly, Jasper. Emmett was all right, but sometimes he drove me nuts with all of his innuendos and jokes. Jasper knew when to keep his mouth shut and Alice was just so freaking..._nice_ that it was hard not to like her.

"She may need some time to calm down." Jasper offered. "What she saw may not make sense to her."

Carlisle nodded slowly. "All we can do is wait. In the meantime, I think we shouold begin preparing to make our trip to South America. I've looked at several different airlines and we should be able to get to the jungle in short order."

As the others began chiming in and began talking about what routes to take and what they were looking forward to seeing (Emmett wanted to wrestle an anaconda), I saw Carlisle deep in thought.

Hesitantly, I rested a hand on his shoulder and he turned his head to look at me. His eyes were anguished and I immediately wanted to know what was hurting him so badly.

"Carlisle...what is it?" I asked softly. The others were too busy planning to pay us any attention.

"If this journey fails...there is no other hope left." he whispered. "I may not be able to save my granddaughter, Leah. Seeing her brings me such joy but if I fail her, I will never know happiness again."

My heart broke for him and I hugged him close. "Don't start thinking like that until we try. It's never over until the fat lady sings."

"And sometimes not even after she's gone and left the theatre with Elvis." Seth added cheerfully.

I glared at him, but Carlisle laughed a little. Maybe my little brother wasn't such a dope after all...


	15. What To Do Now

_Thank you to all of the people who are reading and reviewing this. I've already got a sequal in the works when this part winds down, and I'm taking a vote: Should I re-do this from Carlislie's POV? Let me know in the reviews.  
_

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It was a Tuesday when everything we thought we'd known fell down around us. The plane tickets had been purchased, the suitcases packed. A fake passport had been obtained for me, Seth, Jacob and Nessie. Our plans had gone according to our wishes.

But as we sat in the living room, Alice had a vision. A glass bowl slipped from her hands and we all knew something was wrong. Alice just didn't drop things.

Edward told what what she saw. In a few short months, the Volturi would be coming for us (and I counted myself among that "us" because of Carlisle). Tanya had finally caved and gone to them, believing Nessie to be one of the forbidden immortal children.

We had no idea how this was going to play out and we desperately tried to make a new plan. Carlisle called the Denali coven and begged for them to come down so we could ask their advice. Someone named Eleazar had once served them, so he might be able to tell us why they were doing this. Alice and Jasper had left suddenly in the night, a note being their only explanation. The rest of us could only suppose that we were going to fail and they couldn't stand to be here for the destruction.

Others tried to call in favors, to amass some witnesses against the Volturi but no one would come. "This isn't our fight," they would say. The only two who bothered coming were these creepy Romanian guys that Jacob had taken to calling "Dracula One and Dracula Two". Nessie wasn't allowed to be alone with them because they'd told her a "bedtime story" and the poor kid didn't sleep for two days afterward!

After Alice and Jasper left, Carlisle rarely smiled. Even Nessie couldn't get one out of him any more and I grew more and more concerned for him. Everyone else was focusing on little Nessie and what would happen to her, but I wondered what my Isley (he's once been called this by a friend and I liked it so I appropriated it for my personal use) was thinking. He'd be shut in his study for hours and if he'd been human, I wouldn't have been surprised if he was crying.

Even his posture had changed. He was smaller somehow, hunched like his back was barely able to hold up the additional burden that had been placed on it.

I couldn't take it anymore. At night, when Edward and Bella were at the cottage Rosalie and Alice had put together for them as a wedding present, I went up to his study and slipped inside, closing the door after me. The sight in front of me when I turned had tears streaming down my face.

Carlisle was sitting in his usual chair, his face buried in his hands. I knew vampires couldn't cry, but his shoulders were shaking and I could hear the faint sobs coming out of him. Just knowing that he _hurt_ badly enough for this made me rush to him, putting my arms around him and holding him as close as I could. He immediately turned his head, seeking what little comfort he could take from me as he leaned against my shoulder, hiding his face from me.

"Isley, why didn't you say something?" I whispered, pulling my fingers through his hair.

"I couldn't." he choked out after a moment. "I wanted to tell you, but everytime I tried to open my mouth, my throat felt as though it had been welded shut. I have no idea _why_ all of the Volturi would be coming, even the wives and...I am frightened, my Leah. I do not know what is going to become of us. I fear for Edward, Bella and Nessie. I fear for my headstrong ones, Emmett and Rosalie. I fear for you, and Seth and Jacob. I wish I knew precisely why Alice and Jasper left. But I have no answers. Only these questions...and this fear that chokes me."

"I don't know what's going to happen either." I said softly, turning his face so that I could look into his eyes. They held such misery that my heart almost physically constricted in my chest. "But what I _do_ know is that I will be there with you...whatever end comes."

He was silent for a moment before he touched his forehead against mine. "I would lose my mind without you, my Leah." he sighed. "I wonder how fair it is for you to be meant for a doomed man..."

I scowled at him and swatted his shoulder. "Don't talk like that."

Carlisle closed his eyes before opening them again, a tiny hint of a smile on his face. "Yes dear."

It was the first time he'd teased me in weeks and I wanted to jump up and down in celebration like a little kid. "You got that right, mister. Don't you forget it."

He chuckled, just a little. "I'm sure you won't let me."

As he wound his arms around me and I settled against him, I found myself praying that the Volturi would see reason. These few weeks I'd had with him just weren't enough.


End file.
